I’ve posted at this blog before that this is a typical lefty tactic when it comes to discussing anything related to our national security. If a Dem advocates it, and a Republican criticizes it, the criticism in and of itself – without examining whether or not it has merit – is automatically characterized as ‘questioning patriotism.’ It’s a way the left attempts to stifle debate, by trying to make Republicans too fearful of criticizing what the Dems are advocating.

I think the issue of ‘questioning patriotism’ is overblown by the left. Now, some of their complaints are valid. Thoughtful criticism of the admin’s WOT policies in and of itself is not unpatriotic and shouldn’t be labelled as such, but sometimes it is. No one is every going to agree with every single thing the administration has advocated with respect to the WOT, and that’s something we need to keep in mind when judging criticisms made by the left (and some on the right) towards the admin’s WOT policies.

That said, sometimes it is entirely appropriate to question patriotism: like over Rep. John Murtha’s wish for a ‘slow bleed’ strategy that would choke off funds to our military to the point the President had no choice to withdraw from Iraq. I can, have, and will question his patriotism on that. When Democrats pass wussified ‘non-binding’ measures designed to ‘show opposition’ to the President’s surge plan without putting their money with their mouths are. That’s a good reason to question patriotism, because clearly they’re putting politics ahead of what they think is best their country. If they weren’t, they’d pass a binding resolution. But they figure a binding resolution would be political suicide. And when sitting a sitting US Senator visits an ally of Iraq in January 2002 and alerts a high-ranking official there that he believes the US is planning on attacking Iraq. Well, I don’t think that is patriotic, either.

4 thoughts on “On the “you’re questioning my patriotism” cry”

Now, some of their complaints are valid. Thoughtful criticism of the admin’s WOT policies in and of itself is not unpatriotic and shouldn’t be labelled as such…

I wouldn’t even grant them that much.

For the complaint to be valid, I would have to rephrase it to something less judgmental, like “it is intellectually dishonest to label a strategy as unpatriotic, or the intent behind it as unpatriotic, just because you don’t agree with it.” I think that’s where you and I would agree with the liberals.

But to say “You can’t do it…”

That, coming from an ideological camp that has spent half a century, or more, as a paladin for “free speech” rights no matter how ridiculous and hateful the speech may be. For them to start telling me what I can’t question. My beef with that should be obvious.

This is how left-wingers tend to win even when they haven’t put any thought into the issue at hand. If you aren’t a hard-core liberal, intentions are kind of like…eh. They don’t really matter. And so along they come and say, “you are to infer that our intentions are such-and-such and you aren’t allowed to conclude our intentions are so-and-so.” And so normal red-blooded people are all like, “ah, okay whatever.” But it’s an important part of the discussion. There are some right-wingers who hate gay people, and it’s fair for left-wingers to point that out; at the same time, there are some left-wingers who HATE AMERICA. And if there’s anything inappropriate to those kinds of discussions, it’s people running around handing out these rules about what others are supposed to be thinking and aren’t supposed to be thinking — and getting away with it.

Personally, I don’t think anyone should be labelled “unpatriotic” until they’ve demonstrated a genuine desire for their country to lose the war, or to suffer in some way. Then I’m cool with it; but if someone else wants to be more sensitive about it, and slap the label on a little sooner, more power to ’em. They got a right to their opinion, just as I’ve got a right to mine.

I must respectfully disagree with you on the issue of Murtha’s patriotism ST. His patriotism is as clear as a Hubble telescope picture. It must be tough to be at his level of patriotism to sooooo many ME countries and not get hanged by American patriots.

The power of stupid people needs reduced and that requires actions by real Americans, as well as others throughout the world, vested in freedom.